You heard a bang from the garage, and now the door won't go up. That is almost always a spring. We replace torsion and extension springs across Lake Country, eastern Waukesha County, and western Jefferson County.
Quick answer: A broken spring is the most common reason a garage door suddenly won't open. Leave the door closed and call. Most spring jobs run $220 to $420. A single torsion spring usually runs $220 to $320, a matched pair $320 to $420, and an extension spring swap $180 to $280. These are reference ranges, and your door may differ.
Most people notice one of these first.
A torsion spring holds a lot of stored energy. When it snaps, it can sound like a gunshot or a shelf falling over. People often hear it at night or early in the morning and find nothing on the floor. If the door won't open after that, the spring is the first thing to check.
Look at the bar that runs across the top of the door, above the opening. A torsion spring wraps around that bar. A broken one shows a clear gap, often a couple of inches, where the coil has split apart. You can see it from the floor with a flashlight. Don't climb up to touch it.
The spring does the lifting. The opener only guides the door. With a broken spring, the opener may lift the door a few inches and stop, or hum and strain without moving. Some openers reverse right away because they sense too much weight. Don't pull the red release cord to lift it by hand. With the spring gone, the door is dead weight.
Each side of the door has a lift cable. When a spring breaks, the tension goes away and a cable can go slack or jump off its drum. A loose cable is a sign the spring let go. It can also mean the cable itself needs work, which we cover on our off-track and cable repair page.
A worn spring that has lost some tension can make the door slam the last foot or lift unevenly. On extension spring doors, one weak side can tilt the door as it moves. Catching this early may save the opener from working too hard.
If you already know it broke, read what to do in the first hour with a broken garage door spring before you touch anything.
| Type | Where it sits | How it fails | Usual price range |
|---|---|---|---|
| Torsion | On a steel bar above the door, across the width of the opening. | Snaps with a loud bang and leaves a gap in the coil. The door stays down. | $220 to $320 for one, $320 to $420 for a matched pair. |
| Extension | Along each horizontal track, stretching as the door closes. | Stretches out or snaps. A safety cable through the spring should keep it from flying. | $180 to $280 for the swap. |
Most newer doors in the area use torsion springs. Older doors and many detached garages still run on extension springs. If you are not sure which you have, see how torsion and extension springs differ, or just send us a photo. When we order a new spring, we match the wire size, diameter, and length on a spring size chart.
A steel garage door can weigh well over 100 pounds, and a double door much more. The spring balances that weight so the door feels light. When it breaks, all that weight is still there. If you lift the door by hand, it can drop without warning. If you run the opener, it can strip a gear or bend the top section.
Winding a new torsion spring is the most dangerous job on a garage door. The spring is twisted under heavy load with steel winding bars. If a bar slips, the spring spins it hard enough to break bones. Screwdrivers are worse. This is why we ask people not to try it from a video. Leave measuring and winding to us. A photo from the floor is enough for us to plan.
If the door is stuck open, don't pull the red release cord. The door can fall. Keep people and cars out from under it and call.
Many doors have two torsion springs, one on each side of the center bracket. Both springs have opened and closed the door the same number of times. When one breaks, the other has the same wear on it. Replacing only the broken one often means a second service call a few months later.
A matched pair also lifts evenly. An old spring next to a new one pulls with different strength, and the door can wear out cables and rollers faster. On a door with one spring, we replace the one. We will tell you which kind you have before we start.
Springs are rated in cycles. One cycle is one open and one close. Most standard springs are rated around 10,000 cycles. At four to six cycles a day, that works out to roughly five to seven years. Cold winters can shorten it.
High-cycle springs are longer or made from thicker wire, so they spread the load and are rated for more cycles. They cost more up front. They make sense when the garage door is the main way in and out of the house, or when a busy family runs it many times a day. For a door that opens twice a day, a standard spring is usually fine. See how long garage door springs last for the math on your own door.
We carry common spring sizes, so many jobs finish on the first visit. Same-day service is often possible when parts are on hand. Before you call, you can check spring repair costs in Lake Country to see what changes the price.
Call or text and tell us what the door did. A photo of the spring bar above the door helps a lot. We confirm the broken spring and give you a free estimate before any work starts.
Please do not. The spring does the lifting, so without it the full weight of the door hangs on the opener, the cables, and your hands. If your car is stuck inside, call us and tell us. Leave the door closed until then.
Springs are steel, and steel wears a little with every open and close. More springs break on cold mornings, when the steel is under the most stress.
On a door with two springs, we recommend it. Both springs have done the same number of cycles, so the second one is usually close behind. A matched pair also keeps the door balanced from side to side.
Most spring jobs take about an hour to an hour and a half on site. That includes the balance test and the safety reverse check at the end.
Yes. We measure the old spring and weigh the door by how it lifts, so the brand of the door does not matter much. Text us a photo of the spring above the door and we can often tell you what to expect.
Yes. Springs carry the manufacturer warranty and our labor is warranted as well. The specific terms are written on the invoice.
